| Why Manilva?
Shanalle Bacarese-Hamilton
from Hamilton Homes gives us some good reasons for buying in Manilva.
I sip my wine as I sit on
the promenade of Sabinillas, looking across the beach in front
of me and soaking up the picturesque scenery.
Once a tiny fishing village
lost within the Costa del Sol, the town of Sabinillas is now the
hub of the municipality of Manilva and one of the fastest growing
areas in the South of Spain.
There are so many different
features that come together to make this region of Manilva an
investor’s haven. Manilva offers considerable diversity
– from vineyards to restaurants, from modern apartments
to typical fishing village houses, from traditional to new.
What
is Manilva?
Most people believe that Manilva is a small whitewashed village
in the middle of nowhere, yet Manilva encompasses the area from
La Paloma to Casares. There are four key areas within Manilva,
El Castillo, Puerto de la Duquesa, Sabinillas and Manilva Village.
A Sense of Tradition
El Castillo is a small beachside
fishing village built around an ancient Castle, right on the doorstep
of the Port of Duquesa. Whilst much development has taken place
around it, this village has maintained its character. As I walk
through El Castillo I am struck by the quaintness of the village,
with its traditional small white fishermen houses, families sat
outside their doors chatting and watching the world go by, and
the scent of typical Spanish cuisine filling the air. Whilst small
in size and population, the reputation of this village precedes
itself as having some of the best fish restaurants on this coast.
People come from far and wide to taste the fish here.
Expatriate
Meeting Point
Puerto de la Duquesa is an
idyllic spot with excellent bars and restaurants attracting a
large expatriate community. While taking a stroll along the beach,
one can literally walk through Castillo to Duquesa. Internal roads
from the port lead to the hills of Duquesa and its golf course,
making it, an attractive spot for keen golfers and holidaymakers.
Properties in this area are sought after due to the proximity
to amenities and the beautiful setting. There are some lovely
developments with communal pools and landscaped gardens. Alongside
unspoilt beaches (awarded the blue flag), people just can’t
complain – sun, sea, golf and international cuisine!
A Blend of Cultures
Sabinillas, once a traditional
fishing village, has grown organically and is now the core of
the Manilva area. There is a promenade that stretches, along the
beachfront, from Duquesa to Sabinillas.
Sabinillas has become the
working centre of Manilva and has grown at an incredible pace
with its numerous banks, real estate agents, insurance agents,
cafeterias, hairdressers, retailers and large supermarkets. Sabinillas
is also home to the primary state school of Manilva, the Casa
de Cultura with its subsidized courses (including Spanish for
foreigners!) and library facilities, and both, public and private
medical centres.
Sabinillas has been recently
beautified, with its beachfront promenade and large unspoilt beaches.
There is a welcoming balance of Spanish and expatriates and a
sense of harmony between cultures and nations. Budding entrepreneurs
have started up new services to embellish the offerings of this
town.
A Storybook Village
Manilva Village is like a
storybook come to life. Just opposite Sabinillas on the mountainside,
Manilva is a sleepy whitewashed village, which is home to the
Manilva Town hall, and local Manilva TV.
Manilva is famous for its
grapes and there are great festivities to celebrate the ‘Vendimia’.
Manilva is also known for its local bakeries which offer a fantastic
selection of breads, catering for all kinds of diets.
Manilva is two minutes from
the main motorway giving commuters easy access to bigger cities.
Why Invest in Manilva
Location, location, location……….The
blend of old and new makes Manilva exceptionally attractive. This
is enhanced by its geographic location and accessibility to nearby
airports (Gibraltar and Malaga).
Manilva is also close to some
of the most famous golf courses, including Valderrama, which is
a mere ten minutes away. Apart from the latter, Duquesa Golf lies
within its boundaries.
For those looking to live
it up, Puerto Banus with its Cinema Complex, clubs and El Corte
Ingles are only 20 minutes away. La Canada, a large shopping centre
is also only half an hour away. Needless to say, those expatriates
feeling homesick or yearning for a touch of ‘Britain’
need only to drive half an hour to reach the frontier of Gibraltar.
Future Potential
Manilva is developing to keep
in step with a growing community. It recently started its own
industrial site outside of the town to enable new businesses to
set up and have their own warehouses.
The commercial premises within
the centre of Sabinillas are being snapped up and each day a different
person walks into our offices looking to start up a new business.
One only needs to look at the lack of parking to understand the
extent to which the town has grown.
This is causing a multiplier
effect creating more jobs for locals and expatriates and, in turn,
alerting large developers to enter this zone and create accommodation
to meet this demand.
Whilst there is a great deal
of construction going on, the authorities have ensured that there
are no high rise blocks right on the beachfront, like those notorious
of Benalmadena and Torremolinos. Furthermore the Town Hall has
revised and raised the standards that promoters need to achieve
prior to obtaining licenses of first occupation.
Investing in Property in Manilva
There is still great investment
potential in the Manilva region and the way that one can reap
that potential depends very much on what an individual is looking
for; do they wish to generate an ongoing income? Do they want
to build up a capital lump sum? Is the property purely an investment
or will it serve a dual purpose of being a second home and a potential
investment?
Income Return: Buy to Let
Generally speaking , if looking
for an income return, then investors tend to choose to purchase
a basic apartment or townhouse, which they can then rent out.
The choice of property depends on several factors – the
rent that they are looking to receive, the kind of tenant that
they are wishing to attract and whether they are looking to have
a long or short-term rental. These factors will influence the
area and type of property that investors decide to buy within
Manilva.
Duquesa tends to attract
those wishing to reap from short-term holiday rentals, Sabinillas
attracts long-term tenants - those looking to live in the area
wanting to be close to local amenities, their place of work and
entertainment.
Capital Return: Buying into New
Developments
Off-Plan
Many investors aim to build up capital and use their income to
help build up a lump sum for the future – a bit like paying
into an investment plan. These investors tend to select off-plan
investments that enable them to buy that property at the very
start. Many developers offer competitive payment terms reducing
the burden on the buyer.
It is important to look and
compare different off-plan opportunities. There are many developments
that are trying to ride on the increasing prices without producing
the corresponding quality specifications. Therefore when buying
off-plan, amongst other things, one should look at square meterage,
quality specifications, general features and whether or not the
developer has a bank guarantee. If there is no bank guarantee,
it is often worth paying extra to get one.
Boom or Bust
House prices in the region
of Manilva have been on a rising incline and the million dollar
ball would be useful at this point! Three years ago when purchasing
my property, I was told to wait, prices were too high –
yet three years later, I only wish that I had bought more!
Whilst prices are unlikely
to continue rising at such a high rate, it should be noted that
the demand that we are getting is not just from speculative investors
but also those wishing to move over permanently, and the latter
are on the increase.
The secret is to buy carefully
so that even if AVERAGE prices were to level off or fall, your
property would still maintain ITS value. Many sellers just price
their homes highly to test the market – sometimes their
expectations are unrealistic. There are bargains out there –
so keep your eyes open.
I feel that one can always
go around thinking about tomorrow – tomorrow may never come.
Enjoy today and, even if for investment, buy something that you
like for yourselves – it is always easier to sell something
that you like. Personally, the tangibility of property gives me
a greater sense of security than placing funds in a turbulent
stock market.
For more information email
info@hamilton-homes.com
or visit their website |
